Promises
by Crystal Dancer
Summary: Lily and James ask Sirius for a promise... or two...


Disclaimer: The characters within, with the exception of Dariele Pantheon, are   
the property of J.K. Rowling since they exist somewhere within the Harry Potter   
universe. This ditty was inspired by a section of dialogue in "Harry Potter and   
the Prisoner of Azkaban" but the situation is all in my imagination. Set after   
the Marauders have graduated from Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
Promises   
By: Crystal Dancer  
crystaldancr@diagonsoft.com  
  
When the owl from James arrived, it sat for several moments on the windowsill,   
watching Sirius Black and Dariele Pantheon, involved in a dominance game between   
two Animagi. Finally, the cougar that was Dariele pounced, and pinned the dog   
beneath her, then transformed into a mischievous human woman propped above him.  
  
"Sirius, time to transform back... looks like we've got a summoning of some   
kind. Or else one of us does, and the other can plan what's going to happen   
next in this game that we've been playing."  
  
In a flash of light, he was laying under her, grinning maniacally up at her.   
"You're such a spoilsport, Dariele."  
  
"So you keep telling me," she responded, moving from her position atop him so   
that he could get up and get the message from the owl. "From the looks of   
things, the summoning is from James or Lily anyway."  
  
Sirius nodded, leaning against the wall and reading the message from James. The   
short note was scrawled across the piece of parchment and said nothing other   
than the fact that he needed to talk to Sirius today about something of   
importance. Then again, James wasn't the most wordy of people. At least not   
unless it suited him.  
  
"Dariele, I've got to go."  
  
"So I get to plot exactly how I'm going to get even?"  
  
"You are such a little witch..."  
  
"Witch though I may be, Sirius Black," she retorted, waving her wand at him as   
she gathered her things together to leave his London flat, "little I am not. You   
know, it's just as well that you have this summoning, since I agreed to meet   
Garin in about twenty minutes."  
  
"When are you going to get it together and marry the man?"  
  
"When are you going to give in and become a matchmaker for the wizarding world.   
We could use the smile and the lightheartedness of it. It's been some dark   
days, Sirius."  
  
"And I'm sure there'll be more to come. Still, pondering over it doesn't change   
things."  
  
"I know. Let me know how things turn out, will you? And say hullo to Lily for   
me."  
  
"I'll do that."  
  
Dariele grinned again, "Best you do, or else I'll curse you into something you   
wouldn't like very much. Oh, I don't know... perhaps a chicken. That wouldn't   
do much for your image, would it?"  
  
"Get out of here if you're going."  
  
And with that, Dariele Disapparated from the room. He shook his head. Really,   
he had to set some charms that prevented people from Apparating and   
Disapparating here. With a shake of his head, he headed out the door. From the   
tone of the note, what James had to talk to him about was of great importance.   
Never let it be said that Sirius Black wasn't there when his friends needed him,   
for at least he gave it his best shot.  
  
Then again, that could be said for all of the Marauders. Or so he thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It took him maybe half the time that it would have taken any Muggle on a normal   
motorcycle to get to the home that James and Lily had made for themselves after   
leaving Hogwarts. Then again, Sirius was rather proud of the motorcycle that he   
had charmed to fly during his fifth year, and was seldom seen without it. By   
the time that Sirius had dismounted, James was standing outside, waiting.  
  
With a sigh, he noted the determined set of his friend's face, and grumbled   
under his breath. It was a sign that James was going to tell him something that   
he wasn't going to like and no matter how hard he tried, there would be no   
dissuading him. He *hated* when James got like this.   
  
"Okay, Prongs, what is it that I'm not going to like this time?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," James responded in a tone that made   
Sirius want to hit him. In earlier days, he might have, but since the days when   
it seemed like the world would last forever, they all had been taught otherwise.   
"But as for the reason that I asked you to come so swiftly, I need to ask   
something of you."  
  
"And that would be? Dammit, James, I'm tired of the formality. We've only   
known each other a little over half of our lives, so what's the use of it?"   
  
A grin crossed his face, and in an innocent tone, James told him, "I just need   
to know if you'll consent to be the godfather of our child."  
  
Of all the questions or requests that James could have had for him, that was the   
last one that Sirius had been expecting. To lay down his life for the both of   
them, that was something he could expect. To do something entirely foolish in   
front of all of London was something that he could handle, and indeed had done   
before. But this?  
  
"I'd be honoured, but James, does Lily know about this?"  
  
"Who do you think suggested it?" came a voice from the vicinity of the kitchen,   
and when both of them looked up, Lily was standing in the doorway, her arms   
crossed just above her stomach, seeming to make her pregnancy even more obvious.  
  
James gave a grin and a shrug, "What can I say? We trust you, Sirius, and it's   
far beyond me to argue with her when she's got her mind made up."  
  
"It's a match made in heaven," Sirius muttered under his breath.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Both James and Lily looked at him, but Sirius only gave them a smile in return.   
With a shake of her head, Lily came into the room to sit on the other side of   
Sirius. Giving him a look that told him that he was in for interrogation, Lily-  
style, he tried to prepare himself for it.  
  
"Sirius, I want you to promise us something."  
  
He gave her a wary glance, "If I think I can keep the promise, I'll promise you.   
But I'm not going to promise you two something that I know is going to be   
broken, whether it's my will or not."  
  
"I know that. Just, try and promise me that if something happens to us, don't   
stop and try to get revenge. I *know* you, Sirius, so don't even try and tell   
me that you wouldn't try that. Just take the child, and go. If you do feel the   
need for revenge, take care of it later."  
  
"What, Lily, decided to do something with those hours spent in the Divination   
classroom with Professor Trelawnley?"  
  
"Sirius..."  
  
He let out a sigh, "You know I can't promise that I wouldn't try to get revenge   
on the people who would attack you, but you know that. However, I would never   
do anything that would put a child in danger."  
  
"So you promise."  
  
"Dammit, woman, you can be pushy..."  
  
"When I wish."  
  
"Yes, Lily, I promise. And I make good on my promises."  
  
"I know you do. If you didn't, I wouldn't have asked you for this. We trust   
you, Sirius."  
  
"Yeah, Padfoot."  
  
"Letting your woman do all the talking again, Prongs?"  
  
"Why should I waste the time when she says it first and better than I would   
anyway?" James grinned.  
  
"I suppose you have a point."  
  
"Just try and promise me something else," Lily asked, with something of a sheepish grin on her face. "Don't let them send our child to live with my sister. Well, Sirius, you remember what I told you she's like. Please?"  
  
"I'll do what I can, Lily. And I don't think I'd ask anyone to live under those kind of conditions."  
  
She grimaced in response, and silence fell over the room for several minutes before James spoke up, "Oh, and Padfoot..."  
  
"Yeah, Prongs?"  
  
"About that revenge thing... If ever it happens, please don't go doing anything   
that I'd regret."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"No, I'm Sirius. You're James," he grinned widely. "Unless of course you'd want   
to trade places for a day, and I can stay here and do your job at the Ministry   
and make love to your beautiful wife and you can do my boring job and live in my   
boring, lonely flat. I have such a hard life..."  
  
James glared at him while he just continued grinning. Then they all started   
laughing, grateful for the break in tension.  
  
Then Sirius went silent long enough for both of them to look at him. Rising, he   
paced across the floor for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. Only   
then did he turn to face them, "Just as long as both of you know that whatever   
action I take as revenge might well need to be taken in order to save the child   
you'd be placing in my hands. Until that happens, let's all hope that it would   
never need to."   
  
"Agreed."  
  
"And I think I need to leave. I have some business to attend to."  
  
"It was good to see you, old friend," James smiled as he rose, walking with   
Sirius to the door. "You shouldn't be such a stranger."  
  
"Ahh, but then I'd ruin my reputation. You know, the ever present dark   
stranger..."  
  
James just laughed and closed the door behind Sirius, placing the locking charm   
back on the door. Then he turned to Lily, and saw the fear and anxiety in her   
eyes, and went to hold her for a while, as much for his benefit as for hers.   
He'd never admit how scared he was, but that didn't mean that it wasn't there.  
  
For they all knew that this was only the calm before the storm, and there was no   
way of knowing who would survive the storm's passing. Or if any of them would.  
  
-End-  



End file.
